Ninja Chronicle: Path of the Shinobi
by gmsephiroth
Summary: Ryu Hayabusa was constantly on the battlefield, whether fighting for his life or otherwise. When it seemed he could take a breather after DOATEC's collapse, a darkness from his past will lure him, and those close to him, to battle once more...Rated M for
1. Resurfacing Darkness

Ninja Chronicle: Path of the Shinobi

By: gmsephiroth

Disclaimer: I do not own Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, or any related articles and characters present in this writing. They are property of Tecmo and Team Ninja (but you already know that).

I present to you the modified version of Chapter 1. I decided to rewrite it since the previous version was sub par by my own standards. I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 1: Resurfacing Darkness

It was a cool winter morning when Ryu Hayabusa had received the letter. As he walked into his shop, he took in his surroundings, making sure that it had not been disturbed since his visit just yesterday. Everything seemed to be in order, and then he saw it. The letter. Upon opening it, he discovered it was a summons from the Emperor himself. The letter requested that Ryu to make his way to the Imperial Palace as urgently as possible. Rereading it to make sure he did not miss any details, Ryu decided to take action. At that moment, Ryu dropped everything he had planned on doing and dressed himself in his traditional shozoko, given to him by his father after he had become a full-fledged ninja, just before the incident in Vigoor. He rushed outside, and after receiving a few stares from the public, He disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves…

Ryu observed the perimeter of the Imperial Palace of Japan, from his hiding position in the trees. He looked at the guards posted there, and wondered again what the urgent summons was about. Ryu had never been summoned to the Imperial Palace before, so it had to be something of great importance. While in today's day and age the Emperor is technically nothing but a figurehead, shinobi were traditionally spies of the emperor, and they served him loyally. This had not changed even now. Finally deciding to make his way in, he jumped from his hiding position and landed in front of two guards. The guards were temporarily stunned as Ryu simply stood there and stared at them. Quickly regaining their composure, they crossed their spears in front of Ryu, not allowing him to pass.

"This is the Imperial Palace of Japan. No one is allowed beyond these gates without permission from the Emperor himself. Please leave." One of them said, looking ready to fight Ryu if need be. Ryu, however, did not have time to discuss his situation, and simply pulled out the letter he had been sent. He showed it to the guards. After looking at it closely, they both straightened.

"My apologies. You may proceed." The same guard said. Upon saying this, the other guard knocked in precise pattern on the large wooden door. Both guards stepped away from the door, and it opened. Inside were two large rows of guards. They all appeared to be highly skilled warriors. Ryu briefly thought of how difficult it might be to fight them. Hopefully he would never have to find out. Another set of large wooden doors stood before Ryu. He stared at them for a minute, and they opened. As Ryu stepped inside he could see more guards, and the Emperor himself sitting at his throne. Finally within the Emperor's presence, Ryu began to speak.

"I have come by your request, my lord." Ryu said as he bowed to the Emperor. The Emperor stared at him thoughtfully, and proceeded to make a quick hand gesture. He then spoke.

"Rise, young Hayabusa. I never formally met with you, and I had planned to after hearing of your clan's destruction all those years ago. My apologies…"

Ryu visibly flinched as the Emperor said this, but he did not move from his place.

"…But you had already run off to the Holy Vigoor Empire by the time I found out. A shinobi from the Mugen-Tenshin clan I sent as a spy told me all about your exploits there…" he continued.

Ryu figured it must have been Ayane. He quickly pushed the thought aside as the Emperor continued to speak.

"…But enough small talk. The urgent business I have summoned you for regards the Holy Vigoor Empire and the Dark Dragon Blade, which appears to have resurfaced there." The Emperor said.

Ryu's eyes went instantly wide. He could not believe what he had just heard. The Dark Dragon Blade, which he himself had destroyed, was once again appeared in the Holy Vigoor Empire? Ryu decided it would be best to gather all the details before making such assumptions.

"My lord, you did say the Dark Dragon Blade, correct? Are you sure what you're saying is accurate?" Ryu inquired skeptically, He just could not believe the Emperor's words.

"I placed spies in Vigoor after its collapse seven years ago, to monitor the Empire's situation over time. They reported that a large, black dragon appeared in the sky one day, and a man, a scientist of Vigoor, said the Emperor was not dead, and that the Empire would soon be restored. He was wielding a blade identified as the Dark Dragon Blade. This situation concerns me, and so, I decided to summon you, since you already have some experience in the Empire. However, despite your previous efforts, I want to be absolutely certain that the mission I'm about to give you is completed, so I am giving you the liberty of selecting three other shinobi from any clan of your choosing. Like all shinobi missions, this is to be kept in the dark, young one, and I want you to remember that. You will be sent to the Vigoorian border and then make your way into Vigoorian territory. From there, you will make your way into the Vigoorian capital, Tairon, where the scientist is said to have appeared, and eliminate him, along with the Dark Dragon Blade and anything connected to it." The Emperor explained.

Ryu allowed all of the information to sink in. He reviewed the information in his head, and gathered it together.

"Basically, my lord, you're telling me that out of seemingly nowhere, a giant black dragon appeared in the skies of Vigoor. At the same time, a man wielding the Dark Dragon Blade appeared, claiming that Vigoor, both the Emperor and the Empire, would soon be restored. And so, you summoned me here to go to Vigoor and investigate the situation with three other shinobi of my choosing. We will sneak into the Empire by crossing the border secretly, and make our way to the capital city of Tairon. If the facts appear to be true, I am to secure and neutralize the Dark Dragon Blade, as well as anything connected to it in some way." Ryu summarized.

The Emperor simply stared at him for a moment. He then answered.

"Yes, that is the basic gist of the mission. You are to begin preparations immediately. I will give you three days to prepare yourself and gather a team. You are to meet my men at the airport in Tokyo when you are ready."

Without another word, Ryu stood, bowed slightly, and walked out of the palace. Ryu could feel a dark omen wash over him. A resurfacing darkness appeared in his heart, and he knew that this mission would not have a happy ending like his last visit to the Vigoorian Empire. He would have to search for comrades to assist him in his mission as well. But who? He decided not to ponder the question too much right now, as he had one major task to complete before he could do so.

Later that day…

Ryu had made his way into his old home. The Hayabusa Village was intact, the way he had left it when he last visited. The ruins would serve as a constant reminder of his family and friends, who had all died defending the Dark Dragon Blade, but to no avail. Ryu, however, did not weep, as he had avenged their deaths when he destroyed Doku as well as the Dark Dragon Blade when he went to Vigoor all those years ago. Ryu approached the Graveyard.

Ryu stood before the grave of Kureha once more. He unsheathed the Dragon Sword, and pulled the Dragon Eye from its resting place on the necklace hanging from the grave. He never thought he would ever be doing this again. As he placed the glowing gem into the small indentation on the sword's hilt, the Dragon Sword began to glow in the same way as the gem did. It had once again transformed into the True Dragon Sword. If the Dark Dragon Blade had truly been restored, then Ryu would require the True Dragon Sword to complete this mission. Ryu already had the rest of his equipment ready. On his back were perched the Vigoorian Flails, which also served as a constant reminder of his battles in Vigoor. The weapon itself, however, proved most effective in combat. On his legs he had strapped Incendiary Shuriken. On his arm was the Windmill Shuriken. He was as prepared as he could possibly be for this mission.

After paying his respects, Ryu dashed out of the village. After turning once he had exited the village to give it one last look before the mission, he disappeared from the ruined village in a whirlwind of leaves. He had to search for allies, as the Emperor had requested. Though Ryu preferred to work alone, he had the undying feeling that he would need all the help he could get…

The next day…

Ryu awoke in his shop. He had spent the night there pondering who to bring on the mission. There were many ninja clans with suitable candidates, but Ryu needed someone he could trust, and would be useful during the mission. His thoughts always wandered back to the Mugen-Tenshin clan. Ayane was already familiar with the Vigoorian Empire. He could also ask Hayate. Though Hayate might be unwilling to go, it was a direct order from the Emperor, so he could not turn it down. Ryu did not want to force anyone into doing this, but he felt he had no choice, and finally having made up his mind, he decided to pay a visit to the Mugen-Tenshin clan's village, located deep in the mountains. Time was of the essence, and of extremely short supply. There was none to waste. And yet again, Ryu charged outside, weapons at the ready, and disappeared into a whirlwind of leaves.

To be continued…

I hope you like version two of my first chapter. I made it longer and corrected a few mistakes in the writing. Hopefully this one is better. Regardless, constructive criticism is always welcome. Oh, and PLEASE REVIEW!

Anyway, more to come soon. I'm aiming for 1 chapter a week minimum, so you can expect them to come pretty quickly if you're the type that doesn't like waiting (like me).

Hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next one!

-gmsephiroth


	2. Reemergence of the Fiends

Ninja Chronicle: Path of the Shinobi

By: gmsephiroth

Not much to say at this point. I hope the first chapter wasn't overly boring. Hopefully this one will be better. Anyway, enjoy…

Chapter 2: Reemergence of the Fiends

The Mugen-Tenjin village, which lay deep in the mountains, was enjoying a peaceful afternoon. Women were cleaning and cooking, the men working on the nearby farms and building small houses that appeared to be large huts. The children were outside playing, and the shinobi were busy training. And higher up in the mountains, the Hajin-Mon branch of the village was veiling itself in secrecy, as was their job to do. Support the main village from the shadows.

Hayate had been peacefully drinking his tea with Ayane, taking in his surroundings appreciatively, when the first signs of an attack had begun. Smoke billowed from the huts and the dying screams of men, women, and children alike could be heard in the distance. Without a moments hesitation, the both of them were up and running, along with other members of the Mugen-Tenjin Clan which were attending to their chores at the time. Hayate made sure to grab his sword on the way out. As they ran, they eventually came upon ash and trickles of blood, but a scene quite devoid of any corpses, with the exception of a few bodies strewn about here and there.

"What happened here?" Hayate asked to himself. Ayane could not bring herself to say anything, an act that was quite contrary to her usual front. All she could do was wonder why anyone would attack the Mugen-Tenjin Clan. There surely had to be some kind of motive. She also wondered where the bodies were. Surely there were more people here than this during the attack.

Hayate rushed over to one of the huts to check for survivors. After checking about three huts, he came up to one where a woman lay on the floor. She had a deep puncture wound penetrating her left lung. She was bleeding profusely, and Hayate believed her to be dead. As he approached her to check and make certain, her eyes sprang open, and then dulled a little. Hayate had immediately recognized her as one of the women that regularly cleaned the counsel chamber found within his own residence. She spoke softly; the very act of whispering alone seemed to severely strain her.

"Hayate-sama…" she said. Hayate could tell her life was rapidly being drained from her. Despite how inappropriate it was, Hayate would have to find out who had done this before she gave out. He would avenge her death, as well as the death of most certainly many others. That was all he could do for her now before she moved on to the next life.

"Please…tell me who did this." He told her compassionately. He did not want to sound harsh and scare her, especially not in the state she was in. She replied almost instantaneously.

"A man…holding a large, black blade. There were markings on it, red marks like the color of blood. He was accompanied by a large group of beasts, one of which gave me this wound before I escaped." She told him. She closed her eyes, and tried to open her mouth. She could not.

Hayate could tell that she was not yet dead. However, she no longer appeared to have the strength to even speak. She would continue to suffer an agonizing death. Hayate could not bear to see her in this state. He unsheathed his sword, and stabbed her. She died instantly. It was the least he could do to relieve her of her pain. Hayate stepped outside.

Ayane approached him and spoke.

"We checked all the quarters in this area. We couldn't gather much information, except that the attackers claimed they were from the Holy Vigoor Empire, and they were searching for 'the one that could tell them where to find the last of the Dragon Lineage'."

Ayane stood there for a moment while Hayate contemplated the information.

"Holy Vigoor Empire? Last of the Dragon Lineage? What does it all mean?" He inquired. Ayane looked at him in disbelief for a second, but quickly regained her composure.

"You mean you don't know? Well, actually, I don't blame you. You weren't the clan leader yet when it happened." She said.

Hayate became suddenly curious as to what exactly Ayane was talking about. He discarded all thought of the woman to whom he had just spoken to. He had to know.

"When what happened?" he asked. Ayane looked at him for a minute. She could tell he was anxious. However, he was taking the disappearance and apparent deaths of the entire clan quite calmly. It reminded her of that man.

"A few years before the first Dead or Alive tournament, when you were still in training to become the clan leader, the Hayabusa ninja clan was attacked and slaughtered by a group of attackers from the Holy Vigoor Empire. They were in search of an evil blade which resided there. It was the Dark Dragon Blade, which the Hayabusa clan protected from generation to generation. The one from the Dragon Lineage, meaning from the Hayabusa ninja clan of course, is none other than your best friend…"

"Ryu…" Hayate whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Correct. After his clan had been obliterated, Ryu was furious. He went to Vigoor to seek revenge. Of course, he succeeded. I'm unfortunately unable to give you the details for reasons beyond our control. You understand." She told him.

Hayate, of course, was not satisfied. However, before he could say another word, explosions could be heard in the distance. The Hajin-Mon branch of the Mugen-Tenjin clan was under attack. Diverting all of their attention in that location, they all sprinted towards the explosion.

After running through the forested areas surrounding the Hajin-Mon branch of the village, Hayate, Ayane, and the Tenjin-Mon ninjas arrived in time to see their comrades fighting strange creatures. The creatures circled the Hajin-Mon ninjas, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Screams could be heard in the distance. Hayate figured it was from the nearby waterfall. However, in that one moment that the screams were heard, the ninjas concentration were broken, only for instant. That instant allowed the creatures to attack, killing off three Hajin-Mon ninjas.

"Those are…Fiends of Vigoor…" Ayane whispered. Hayate heard what she said, however, and quickly sprang to action. The others followed suit. Hayate slashed at the first Claw Fiend, opening a deep wound on its chest. It fell with a sickening thud, and its body evaporated in a quick, blue flame. The battle had begun as the Tenjin-Mon ninjas attacked the Fiends. Their teamwork proved effective, as the vast majority of the Claw Fiends fell to the ground and burst into flames, disappearing.

After defeating the Fiends, the ninjas ran for the waterfall area, where screams could be continuously heard. After running for about a minute or so, they arrived at the scene of a complete slaughter. Two large Ogre Fiends crushed Hajin-Mon ninjas while a short figure in a black hood, carrying a mysterious black blade, sliced another ninja in half. The Tenjin-Mon ninjas were quick to act, as they attacked the Ogre Fiends head on. What happened next, however, shocked Hayate.

As the ninja's body fell to the ground, it slowly disappeared, releasing a mist-like red substance that the mysterious blade quickly absorbed. Hayate was unable to move for a moment. Ayane and the other ninjas were busy engaging the Ogre Fiends, however, and did not take notice. The mysterious robed figure shifted his gaze over to Hayate.

"Who are you?" Hayate asked, a pointless question that he knew would not be answered, but he felt he should ask nonetheless. The robed figure, however, gave him an answer in the form of a question.

"Where is the descendant of the Dragon Lineage?" he asked. Hayate disregarded the question and attacked the man head-on. He slashed once, a horizontal cut, but it was a clean miss. He slashed again, but to no avail. The figure approached him and performed a vertical slash, which Hayate easily avoided. As Hayate prepared to attack once again, he nearly fell back. When he looked over, he saw that he was on the edge of the waterfall drop. As his gaze shifted back to the robed figure, he was taken by surprise as the figure slashed horizontally. Hayate blocked, but was pushed back and off the cliff by the force of the blow, and he let out a scream as he fell backwards into the waters below.

Ayane, who was being pushed back by the Ogre Fiends, who had gone berserk after their masks had been destroyed, took notice when Hayate had been pushed off the cliff.

"Hayate-sama!" she yelled out, diverting her attention from the Ogre Fiends, and without hesitation, she jumped off the waterfall after Hayate.

The Tenjin-Mon ninjas, which were left to fight the Ogre Fiends alone, were quickly slaughtered by the beasts. The figure removed the hood, and the face of a seemingly middle-aged man appeared from under it. He looked over the edge of the waterfall and chuckled. Without a word, he turned around to search for survivors that could give him the information he required…

Later that day… 

Ryu Hayabusa had not expected what he saw. The Mugen-Tenshin village was in shambles, a battle apparently having taken place there. A battle, or perhaps a slaughter. Ryu sprinted through the village to see if he found any survivors. He went straight for Hayate's residence in search of his friend. As he walked in, he noticed everything had been strewn on the floor and otherwise destroyed. He searched all the rooms and found nothing. He dashed back outside, and giving the vicinity one final look, he decided to check elsewhere. If memory served him, the Hajin-Mon branch was located nearby. Perhaps there would be survivors there. He ran for the forest behind Hayate's residence.

After a few minutes of dashing through the forest, Ryu came upon the ruins of the Hajin-Mon quarters. Dead bodies were strewn about of both Tenjin-Mon and Hajin-Mon ninjas. Ryu carefully inspected the bodies in an attempt to find out what kind of attack had killed them. All of them had similar wounds, inflicted in a manner he had seen before. 'But where?' he thought to himself. Suddenly, a loud stomp was heard in the distance. Ryu could feel the earth vibrating beneath him. His head sprang up. He rose from his crouched position and looked in the general direction of the noise. He looked up and saw birds flying into the sky. Ryu ran for that location, expecting to find the source of the noise…and indeed he did. An Ogre Fiend stood there, its back facing Ryu.

"A Fiend…" he said to himself as his eyes narrowed and he unsheathed his True Dragon Sword. Ryu tossed a rock as hard as he could at the beast, and got into an attack position. As the rock hit the beast, it turned around quickly, and took notice of Ryu. It let out a harsh battle cry as it dashed for Ryu. Just as the Fiend was about to hit Ryu, he unleashed his True Dragon Gleam attack. The Ogre Fiend let out a painful roar as it stumbled a few steps, stopped next to the nearby waterfall, and let itself drop. Ryu ran over to the waterfall edge to make sure the Fiend was dead. Ryu quickly noticed a fire at the edge of the water at the bottom. He saw a figure stir, though the could not make out its features.

"Who could that be?" he asked himself thoughtfully. Deciding to observe the situation more closely, Ryu begins to climb down the rock face next to the waterfall. It dawned upon him that the sun had already set and it was nighttime. He had not noticed before. He quickly disregarded the thought, however, as he reached the bottom. He sprinted for the location of the fire, which was now apparently gone. More than likely it had been put out by the person who had started it when the Ogre Fiend had crashed into the water. Whatever the reason, Ryu approached cautiously. He saw a figure that lay on the ground. As he neared it, a kunai flew through the air, aimed directly at this face. He caught it just before it hit him, and he tossed it to the ground. Another figure burst out of the trees and attacked him. Thought it was difficult to see because of the darkness, he could tell simply by the fighting style that it was Ayane.

"Ayane, it's me. Ryu." He told her as he blocked a well placed punch. She stopped dead in her tracks with the sudden realization she apologized, feeling rather awkward.

"Gomen-nasai, Ryu-sama." She said respectfully.

"Where is Hayate? I need to speak with him urgently. I need to speak with you as well. It's very important that we do so as soon as possible, Ayane." He told her. Ayane made a hand gesture and pointed behind her, towards the figure he had seen earlier. Ayane walked over to the dying embers of the previous fire she had started and lit a new one. As the fire burned brilliantly, Hayate's figure became clear. He was apparently unconscious.

"He fell over the waterfall edge earlier during the attack. A man wielding the Dark Dragon Blade did it. I recognized the sword from when you fought Murai." She said to Ryu's back. He turned around and observed her for a minute. He then approached the fire and sat across her. He gathered his thoughts and spoke.

"Ayane. I'm going to get right to the point, as there is no time to spare. Yesterday, the Emperor requested that I pay him a visit regarding an urgent matter. I did as requested, and went to see him. He told me that a man wielding the Dark Dragon Blade claimed that Vigoor would soon be restored. He ordered me to make preparations and find three shinobi to accompany to the Holy Vigoor Empire, so that we might take and destroy the Dark Dragon Blade and anything connected to it. I have chosen you two to come along." He explained. Ayane just sat and stared at the fire. After what seemed like an eternity, Ayane met Ryu's gaze and spoke.

"Very well. I'll come along. More than likely Hayate will come along as well. Like you, he will want to seek revenge for what happened to the clan." She told him thoughtfully.

"Don't you want to do the same?" Ryu asked.

"I'm not sure." She answered simply. Ryu continued to stare, but eventually got up. He had a feeling she needed to be alone to gather her thoughts.

"Regardless, if you're coming along, then meet me at Tokyo International Airport the day after tomorrow. I will be there with our final ally for this mission." He said as he turned away from the fire.

"Who is the last one going to be?" Ayane asked curiously.

"If you must know, it's Kasumi." And with that said, Ryu disappeared into a whirlwind of leaves.

'Kasumi…' she thought to herself. The mere sound of the name angered her. She continued to stare into the fire as it burned away into the night…

Well, that's it for chapter two! Anyway, please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. That's it for now!

-gmsephiroth


	3. Victim of Circumstance

**Ninja Chronicle: Path of the Shinobi**

**By: gmsephiroth**

**Wow. It's been a very long time since I last updated. Reality tends to keep one busy in ways one may not necessarily approve of. Well, anyway, I just managed to spare some free time whilst being in the writing mood and decided to update this story. I hope to do so on a regular basis now, since my schedule is a little more free, but I can't make guarantees. Anyway, enough of my personal life. On with the story!

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Victim of Circumstance**

Ryu took light steps as he approached the campus of an unusually large high school. The school itself was an international high school that was constructed close to the American military base, so it came as no surprise to Ryu that the architecture was far from Japanese. It was actually difficult for him to select what most consider 'normal' clothing, since he led a life that was everything but normal. Pushing the thought aside, he stopped and glanced around, only to realize the strange looks he was receiving. In particular, the female portion of the crowd, who looked at him with dazed eyes. It was only then that Ryu realized that he had actually arrived early, and that classes had yet to begin.

He decided it would be as good a time as any to ask directions to the school's main office, which would place him one step closer to his objective. He approached the nearest group, consisting of all females. They were staring at him intently, barely registering that he was walking over. However, they were snapped out of their daze when he spoke, his voice commanding and resolute.

"Excuse me ladies. I need some assistance in locating the main office. Would one of you be so kind as to point me in it's direction. It would be of great help to me." he said in the most polite voice he could muster. They simply stared at him for a minute, stupefied by his straightforward approach. Finally, one of them spoke up, drawing the attention of the other girls nearby.

"Uh, yeah! Just walk along this path to the double doors over there. Then head straight past the first hallway. It's the first room on the left, in front of the cafeteria." she said, a slight blush gracing her delicate features. Brushing the thought aside, he muttered a quick word of thanks and made his way past the crowd of students, who were now making their way inside as the bell to get to class rung. Stopping near the doors mentioned before, Ryu waited for all the students to make their way inside, so as to avoid hampering his progress by trying to push past crowds of rushing teenagers.

After the crowd dissipated, he entered the now quiet building. Only the school security could be heard walking, their footsteps echoing through the hallways. His own footsteps made no noise as he approached the specified door. It made it much easier for him to identify the location thanks to the unnecessarily large sign posted right beside the door, labeled "MAIN OFFICE".

He quickly stepped inside. The office itself was rather spacious, and a multitude of people were scurrying about their business. The guest area was not very spacious, but then again, there seldom were guests in the main office to begin with, from what he had heard. Focusing on his task, he walked up to one of the secretaries present at the main desk. She was talking on the phone, but looked up and smiled to let him know she knew he was there. After hanging up, she wrote something down, and then quickly turned her attention to him.

"Good morning. What can I do for you?" she asked politely, the smile never leaving her lips. His reply was equally polite.

"I'm actually searching for a student. It is imperative that I speak to her. I was wondering if you could tell me where she might be at this particular time?"

"Sure, I can help you with that. Could you tell me her name?" she asked. She continued to smile.

"Kasumi." came his short reply. The secretary's smile became even brighter, and her response rather warm. From the look on her face, he could tell she was fairly well known here, as she did not even inquire as to a last name.

"Oh, Kasumi! She's the new girl who started here a few months ago. She's an office aid for fourth period. She should be in Physical Education right about now. Do you know where that is?" She asked. As expected, he let out a quick 'no' in response. She simply continued to smile.

"Well, after leaving the office, turn left and head straight to the double doors leading outside. Make a right, followed by a left at the first path. Walk straight, past the sheds, and towards the track. Look for a teacher, and he'll bring her aside for you. Here's a pass." she explained, and proceeded to hand him a pass which would allow him through the school campus without question. He took it and thanked her, giving her a quick bow, and turned to leave.

He turned left as instructed, past a few students who were apparently late to class. He exited through the specified double doors and looked around. Without prior knowledge of the school's layout, one could easily get lost here. It was certainly different than a Japanese school's architecture. To the far left there were two locker rooms, followed by a fork in the path. One led back into another section of the building, one led to a vending machine area, and another led to a gym if he was reading the signs correctly. However, he quickly disregarded it, as he was instructed to turn right. He did so. He noticed another fork in the path at the very end, one leading to a makeshift outdoor cafeteria from what he could tell, and another leading back into the main building, to the library specifically. However, he once again pushed the thought aside and took the path he was instructed to take. He followed the path past a few rooms, a vending machine, and came up next to some sheds. He continued to follow the path towards the rear section of the school. He noticed yet another fork in the path. To his left were basketball courts, straight forward were more sheds, and to his immediate right was his objective, the school track, where he could see a multitude of students performing various kinds of exercises.

"Excuse me, sir." Ryu said aloud, drawing the attention of a man who looked to be in his forties. Judging from the way he was dressed, Ryu assumed he was the instructor. The man looked at him for a second, but quickly collected himself and replied.

"Yes? How can I help you?" he asked, looking rather irritated.

"I am searching for a student by the name of Kasumi. I was told she would be here." Ryu replied, ignoring the man's obvious bad mood. The man scrutinized him for a few moments, as if suspicious.

"You got a pass?" was his simple reply. Ryu silently gave the man the slip given to him at the main office. After taking it, the instructor looked at it as if to make sure it was real. Ryu simply waited, wondering why the man was being so cautious. He ignored the thought, and focused once again on the task at hand. Having given Ryu another looking over, the instructor finally turned back towards the track and called out to the group of students conducting exercises on the field.

"Kasumi! You have a visitor!"

Just about every student turned in the direction of the instructor, and half of them then turned towards the student in question. Ryu immediately saw her face. She had a look of confusion on her face, which quickly turned into surprise, and then worry when she saw who her visitor was, exactly. She then began a slow jog over to the instructor.

"This guy is here to see you." was his short comment, as he walked over to the students to instruct them as to their next activity. There was a short, uncomfortable silence as Ryu and Kasumi stared at each other. After collecting his thoughts, Ryu spoke in his usual, emotionless tone.

"How have you been, Kasumi?"

"Fine. And yourself?"

"The same."

"How did you find me?" she asked, hinting that she wanted him to get straight to the point. Ryu, however, thought the question itself to be ridiculous.

"I am a shinobi, and more so, your guardian. It is my duty to know where you are at all times. Let us leave it at that, shall we?" he replied, in an almost mocking tone. She merely narrowed her eyes for a moment, before regaining her composure.

"Very well. What is it that you want? I would imagine it is something rather important if you came in person to see me."

"I have come to ask for your assistance on a mission given to me by the Emperor."

For a moment, she looked confused. But the look soon passed, and her voice took a more serious tone.

"A mission, you say? I thought you were a loner when it came to such things."

"Trust me, if the option to go alone were available to me, I would not be here, asking this of you." he replied, his voice cold and void of emotion. She thought it wise not to pry the issue any further.

"I see." was the simple reply as she contemplated her next question. It quickly came to her.

"Why me?"

"Because, I need someone I can trust." he said, his voice coming out slightly warmer than before.

"And you believe you can trust me?"

"You have not yet given me a reason to believe otherwise."

'Smart.' she thought. As she continued to think in silence, Ryu looked up for a moment, only to the notice the gazes of half of the group Kasumi was with. The looks on their faces ranged from confused to curious, and some even jealous. The sound of Kasumi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What reason would I have to accept?" she asked, suspicion hidden in her voice.

"The answer to that question would depend entirely on whether or not you still believe you have any attachment to the Mugen Tenshin clan." was his straightforward, yet somewhat cryptic answer.

"What do you mean?" she asked, worry and confusion etched into her voice. Ryu gave a short sigh, finding himself now contemplating how to answer. He looked at Kasumi while he thought, and noticed how her demeanor had changed drastically from when she first walked over to him. Ignoring the thought, he spoke up again.

"Do you still care for your family and friends in the Mugen Tenshin clan?"

"Yes. Of course." was her simple reply.

"Would you rush to their aid if they needed help, even if it meant you might be captured and executed for being a runaway shinobi?" he asked, his voice becoming cold and deadly serious again. She paused to think of her answer, but she quickly replied with certainty in her voice.

"Yes. I would."

"And what if I told you they were all dead?" he asked, the volume of his voice becoming almost inaudible, but still holding all the grave seriousness from before. Her eyes became wide, and she trembled slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it, as if fearing her own reply.

"A-are...they really...dead?" she asked, in a clearly shaken voice. Even though Ryu hadn't actually stated as much, she could tell what his question had meant.

"Yes." was his simple, yet powerful reply. Her trembling became even more apparent, and she grabbed her arms, as if she were cold. He could already tell what the next question would be.

"And...my brother?" she asked, tears already rolling down her cheeks. She looked as if she would collapse onto the ground at any moment.

"Hayate has suffered minor injuries, from what I could tell when last I saw him, but he is alive and well, I assure you." He replied, his tone warm again. He saw her eyes brighten up at this, but still, she remained silent. Eventually, she spoke again, asking the next obvious question.

"What happened?"

"The Mugen Tenshin clan was attacked by creatures known as Fiends, no doubt from the former Holy Vigoor Empire. As to why, I am not yet sure. I did not bother to ask your sister during our short meeting last night."

"Ayane is alive as well?"

"Yes, she and Hayate were the only confirmed survivors."

Her shoulders sagged slightly at the news. A few minutes passed, and Ryu could make out the sound of Kasumi sobbing, noticing some tears drip to the ground. After a few more minutes of this, she collected herself. She looked up, and with silent determination in her eyes, spoke again.

"Give me the details about the mission." she said, in a commanding voice. He smirked, as if everything had gone according to plan, and began relaying to her what the Emporer had told him.

"Where should I meet you?"

"Meet me at my shop. Do you know where it is?"

She nodded in reply.

"Right. Meet me there tonight. Make sure to bring all the equipment you can, and we'll sort out what you'll need and won't need for the mission. Afterwards, we'll get some sleep, and meet up with Hayate and Ayane at the airport tomorrow morning."

She gave another nod.

"I will see you then." he replied, and quickly turned to leave. She watched him go, and once he left her sight, she turned back to her classmates. She could already tell she would be bombarded with questions from her friends.

"Who was that?" one girl asked.

"A friend."

"What kind of friend?" another asked mischievously.

"Just a friend."

"He looked kinda old to be 'just a friend'." another one commented.

"What does it matter?" Kasumi asked, annoyed.

"Well, what did he want?" another one asked, ignoring her question.

"Nothing."

"Yeah right. There was no way that was just 'nothing'. We saw the whole thing!"

"It's none of your business!" she yelled, irritated.

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know."

"Well, tell him if he's interested, that he can have my number." another girl said with a grin.

"I'm pretty sure he has more important things to worry about."

"What, you mean he's gay?" another girl asked, curiosity in her voice.

"NO!"

"Hey, you don't have to be mean about it." the girl said defensively.

"Just leave me alone!"

"Fine. You could have just said he was your boyfriend from the beginning." the first girl said, turning away as the rest of the girls followed, chatting about Ryu's looks, amongst other things.

"He is not my boyfriend!" she replied, though her words were unheard by the group, which was busy chatting away. She gave out an annoyed sigh, as someone came up to her.

"Umm...Kasumi-chan?" the person in question, a boy around her age, tried to get her attention. She turned around and scrutinized him for a second. Seeing as how he appeared to be timid, she replied in a polite a voice as she could muster.

"Yes?"

"Since he isn't your boyfriend, does that mean you're available?" he asked, now with confidence in his voice. She suddenly became angry, and with a frustrated huff, she turned on her heel and walked away, answering his question for all the guys who were wondering the same thing.

"NO!!!"

* * *

Hayabusa's antique shop was deadly quiet. He sat in silent meditation, thinking about how he had involved people he did not want to involve in a matter that should only have been his own. But thinking that now would do him no good, and so he ignored the sentiment and once again took to reviewing the equipment he had selected while he waited for the arrival of Kasumi.

A smirk graced his face as he thought how lucky it was that he kept all of his equipment from his first trip to the Vigoorian Empire. He didn't feel the need to carry everything from that particular trip, but some of the more useful equipment made its way into his luggage. Even then, it was still quite a lot. Of course he would have to carry his trusted Dragon Sword with him, as well as his shuriken and kunai.

Other items of particular interest were his bow and arrows, the Lunar, and the multipurpose Vigoorian Flails, all items which had served him well in the past. He also prepared an extra bag with other essentials, such as food and other miscellaneous and nonessential, but nonetheless useful, supplies. His green eyes darted across the room and his hand already had a weapon at the ready as soon as he heard a noise on the window outside his room, in the shop.

His movement was slow and deliberate as he made his way to the doorway of his small room, which was exposed to him since his room door was wide open in expectation of his company. He silently hoped it was who he thought it was, because if it was not, as was an enemy attack, then this mission of his was already going badly before it even really began.

As he positioned himself in a favorable spot to attack any invading parties, he waited in silence. The person that had arrived made no obvious attempt to hide him or herself, as the audible thump that was heard on his floor upon the person's landing was a clear indication of that. What he heard next relieved him, and the breath he didn't realize he had been holding let itself exit his body.

"Hayabusa? I'm here."

"Yes, I'm back here. Come on in."

Her graceful figure appeared at his doorway, and he took a moment to admire her physique, something he hadn't had the time to do during their short meeting at the school. Indeed, he didn't see much of her these days, and so every time he saw her he would have to take a moment to admire how much she had grown. She was in that period of her life, after all. Her body had indeed matured considerably from when last they had met. Her breasts had grown a little, he could see, enough to be noticeable to his keen eye. Her waist had gotten thinner, and her hips had rounded out nicely. She still had that girlish face of hers, however, that made her look a tad younger than she really was. What an odd combination to have, a mature woman's body with a young girls face, all slapped together to make what he was staring at right now. And her Mugen Tenshin ninja attire that she so commonly wore only made her body that much more alluring. Had he not been a man of principle and not possessed the self control that he imposed on himself, he might even have become quite aroused by merely her appearance. But he had to set such thoughts aside for the moment and focused his attention to the task at hand. They had to be properly equipped for the mission before he could continue to amuse himself with such things.

"Sit down and show me your equipment while I prepare some tea."

She silently nodded her head as he turned and went about his self-appointed task. He could hear her laying out the various things she had brought with her. They weren't as numerous as he had assumed, from what he heard, but he told himself that not all ninja clans trained as rigorously or with as diverse a set of equipment as his. As he finished preparing the tea, he poured two cups and placed it between himself and Kasumi, to the side of her small equipment spread.

"I see you have packed all the essentials for equipment and rations. However, your choice of weaponry is rather lacking."

His observation was straight to the point. Before she could say anything he stopped her with a hand and opened up some of the equipment lockers in his room. They were numerous, as he possessed a wide range of weaponry for a multitude or purposes. Noting her physical ability had likely not improved much since their last encounter, he thoughtfully looked over his various weapons, making a few choice selections that would help her.

"Take these, and these, and these as well."

He tossed her nunchaku, explosive shuriken, and Kitetsu. He thought twice about his last choice, but as he looked at her, he was sure she might need the help for the task they were about to undergo. After a quick explanation of the sword's abilities, he turned to the rest of her equipment and told her it was fine as is, and instructed her to gather it all together for when they were to move out. He looked at the time on this antique clock, and it told him they still had a few hours before they were to head out for the airport. He himself did not own a car, but a taxi was simple enough to find at any hour in this city, and so he did not worry himself much over such details. As he sat in silence and drank his tea, she did much the same, and just like that an hour flew by. The silence was broken when she finally decided to speak.

"Hayabusa."

"Hm?"

"Tell me, just how dangerous is this mission going to be?" she asked out of curiosity. It wouldn't hurt to gather as much information prior to the mission as she could.

"All I can say for now is that where we're going, anything and everything can kill you before you even bat an eye, so be alert at all times. Assume everything is an enemy until they give you a reason to think otherwise, and even then be cautious. Our enemies are cunning and numerous, and will stop at nothing to complete their objectives."

He omitted details, as they were as of yet at a dangerous place to be sharing that kind of information. Specifics would have to wait until they were at a more secure location.

"You sound like you've had a great deal of experience with whoever this enemy is. If so, why is it that you need assistance?"

Her curiosity had been piqued, and her amber eyes reflected as much. However, she would have to wait.

"As I told you before, if I had the option of going alone available to me, I would do so. But an order is an order, and I made the best decision I could have based on that order."

She seemed somewhat disheartened at that comment for some odd reason. Surely she didn't want to be pulled away from the relatively comfortable lifestyle she had been living the past few months, but that was the story of her life, she supposed.

"I see."

He noticed she had slumped quite a bit at his remark, and thought briefly if he had made a poor choice in words. He collected his thoughts for a minute and spoke again.

"Listen, it's not that I don't have confidence in your abilities, but you know that I would never willingly put you in danger. I'm supposed to protect you from harm, not put you where the harm is most likely to reach you. All I'm saying is that you should be extremely careful on this mission. It won't be like anything you've ever faced before."

He placed his had on her shoulder to try and reassure her. The gesture was something that was very unlike him to do, and she looked over at him in mild shock because of it, but she suppressed it and smiled at him, letting him know she would be fine. For his part, he was glad the gesture had produced the effect he desired, as she seemed to be in slightly higher spirits. As he removed his hand from her shoulder he looked over at the clock and noticed it was almost time to leave.

"I hope you brought a change of clothing. It won't exactly look normal if you go to the airport wearing that, especially at this hour."

She looked down at herself and nodded in agreement as she went into Hayabusa's bathroom to change. He was already in normal attire, and grabbed his bag as Kasumi exited the bathroom and did the same. As Kasumi made her way towards the shop front door, Hayabusa turned and looked at his room one last time, and took a deep breath, as if it would be the last time he ever did so. For all he knew, it would be. He did the same as he walked through his store, and finally, as he locked the front door to the shop, he looked it over one more time, as if saying goodbye to old friend. He turned towards the cold and lonely street, where Kasumi awaited him, and they set off towards the deeper parts of the city, where they were sure to catch a taxi and a ride to the airport.

It was going to be a long night for him, he could tell. He would not get any sleep that night, thinking about the dark times that yet awaited him and his friends…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, I'm sorry it took so long to update this (almost 4 years now), but its updated, and I plan to start doing updates on a more regular basis from now on. For more info on this and my other projects, please check out my profile page. Hopefully you all enjoy this short chapter, its more of a teaser of things to come. You may notice that there is a slight change in writing style between the first and second half of the chapter. This is due to the two halves being written two years apart from each other. Don't mind it too much. Anyway, plays read and review, I'm looking forward to your feedback.**

**-gmsephiroth**


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